Are ‘variants’ being used to keep us all frightened and compliant?

[Tonylepony]

Watched the Andrew Marrs show this morning and found the discussion on variants very reassuring and not what I’d expected at all. I’ve just been hearing so much about how the Indian and Brazil variants are mainly affecting younger people, we’re all doomed, some variants going to occur any day now that will completely evade the vaccine etc. I’ve honestly been feeling more and more depressed despite having had the vaccination. But it seems things might not be as bad as we’re being led to believe?

I missed that, what did they say?

Variants are bound to happen like flu or cold. Even if the vaccination isn’t as effective against them the boost to the immune system helps to prevent serious illness as with flu vaccination. There is no reason yet to think the Indian variants are a threat to us. There was more but can’t quite remember.

Yes. Not that I don't believe the variants exist, but I do think the way they are being reported in the media is to try and scare us and keep us compliant. The government has always used the media as a tool to manipulate us.

Where have you heard "we are all doomed"? Have you got a link?

Or is it from message boards, comments sections and headlines from the gutter press?

I have read some variants "possibly cause for concern" which is a far cry from "we are all doomed".

Think if people want to be scared they seek out the sensational press to feed their fears. As you said watching, I presume an expert being interviewed, you are reassured. There is a valuable lesson in there somewhere.

It does seem that as soon as the public are given hope of more freedom, a new variant conveniently poses a threat. It's not mention of the new variants that's a problem, it's the way they are reported on and I think it is manipulative. Those in power have acquaintances/friends in the press.

No, I don't think it's a conspiracy like that.

It's simply that since the internet became popular the media now have so much more competition that they can't (or feel they can't) simply be sensible news providers.

They have to entice people to click or to buy.

And sensible, reasonable headlines don't do that....

So they paint the worst possible picture in this case with sensationalist headlines as that will generate a stir and clicks much more than a reasoned piece on the varying possible outcomes, the science and the likelihood of full vaccine escape.

I can see why it feels like a conspiracy but it's just the unfortunate consequence of the world we live in at the moment.

This impact can be seen in all sorts of other areas, not just about COVID.

It was reassuring. The basic gist was vaccines might not stop people catching Covid variants and transmitting the but they still make it unlikely that those people will develop severe illness or require hospitalisation,

Totally agree that it's the media's clickbait presentation rather than some sort of conspiracy.

It's a shame.

I would actually subscribe to a newspaper who decided to go with the opposite strategy and say "We're going to be all about educated pieces, reasonable debate and investigative journalism and won't do click bait or sensational opinion pieces"

The "we are doomed" stuff only ever seems to be mentioned by lockdown skeptics who want to twist what it actually being said.

Scientists have all along been saying vaccine effectiveness is not binary, they will still work but not as well hence the plan for boosters just as we have with flu.

The government has no incentive to keep anyone scared though, they want us out there spending money more than anything.

Yes, what Denisethemenace said. Also, towards the start of the pandemic, there were more than 25 vaccine candidates in clinical development and around 1000 pre clinical candidate vaccines. Today there are multiple vaccines approved for human use and lots more that have entered clinical development. Viruses evolve but human ingenuity is and will continue to crush their impact.

It's definitely working on here! Not supposed to go on holiday cuz variants.

It's also why you get the reasoned pieces on places like Radio 4 or TV programmes that don't have the same economic drive for click bait.

This same thing is to blame for a lot of the 'divided feel' we've had over the past decade or so. Brexit, behaviour during the pandemic, vaccines...

Much more sales in stirring up two sides against each other and airing opinions at the more extreme edges.

See also: giving disproportionate coverage to people like Piers Morgan, Nigel Farage as well as the way things like the 'crime scene pics' related to Caroline Flack were handled. Also phone tapping scandals.

Controversy sells. Fear sells. Horrible, incredible intrusive and often not even true gossip sells.

I actually think this is a very dangerous time, because it's precisely when people lose faith and all trust in the authorities that people turn to extreme media and extreme politicians. The worst of the emergency is over, so they need to stop lying now in order to protect our democracy.

History doesn't repeat but it rhymes.

Yes, I agree about the media but I also think the government could do a better job of prepping the public for the expected e.g occasionally variants arising with increased transmissibility or very partial immune evasion and extremely rare vaccine side effects which could only be picked up once you vaccinate millions of people.

The data on the new variant discovered in India (B1.617) is very sparse at the moment, so, like all new concerning variants, it is currently designated “Variant Under Investigation” in the U.K.

But it does have many of the hallmarks of a problematic variant and I expect with a little more time and data, we will likely see it becoming a “Variant of Concern” in the next two weeks.

That is still nothing to get too excited about. As you say, we will hopefully be protected from serious illness by vaccines. But.. I wish the government would communicate more clearly about the expected path, so people don’t get a shock/ it doesn’t seem like something has changed.

@Tonylepony I think the media are overhyping the variant thing. That, coupled with the government wanting to make sure we stay complaint and don't go mental too soon- is what's driving this.

I have yet to read there is evidence of anyone being funny vaxxed, catching some variant and then dying. This isn't happening yet I think ? Happy for someone to put me straight if I'm wrong.

There are people who've been fully vaccinated who are still dying and we can expect that to keep happening unfortunately, as the vaccine is not fully effective. The vaccine is particularly less effective on people who are most at risk from the virus in the first place. I only realised the other day that's where the projections of 1,000 potential deaths a day in a third wave come from. If you think about it, we've had 1,000 deaths a day with severe lock down restrictions. If you now open it all up, it may spread very fast and the 1,000 a day may be those who it's ineffective for unfortunately. Because the virus will be wider spread as the R number will go up. Does my thinking make any sense ?

If 50 million adults are vaccinated and it doesn't work for 10 percent of them, they're still vulnerable to it. I'm not scaremongering and still think we should open up and get on with it, but that's where the deaths may come from in the future. Happy to be corrected !

I have sympathies with OP's position.

It does seem that the news swings between
-good news,
-oh dear, people are getting too complacent
-bad news
-oh dear, people are getting too depressed
-good news
Rinse and repeat.

Yes, that makes sense to me marilenagrace .

Vaccines are not 100% effective and were never going to be. It is pretty incredible they are as effective as they are! A year ago, we would have been happy with 60%.

It's sensationalist news reporting: for the clicks.

@wheresmymojo

It's a shame.

I would actually subscribe to a newspaper who decided to go with the opposite strategy and say "We're going to be all about educated pieces, reasonable debate and investigative journalism and won't do click bait or sensational opinion pieces"

The Times Or The Guardian

Would be your best bet.

The most interesting thing for me was to discover most of the variants discovered were via tests of people in quarantine. Not via the general public and circulation.

I'm ok when I listen to Whitty or Van Tam in long form.

Listening to the PM or Matt Hancock is s just not helpful to me.

Sorry meant to say people in quarantine having travelled to the country and discovered via the compulsory testing before they can leave quarantine.
Apparently they showed up on the day 5/8 PCR tests and so the people never left quarantine.

I’ve seen the facts of variants being reported on and even hyped up but not to the point of anyone saying we’re all doomed. I think you’re exaggerating as much as they are.

They’re a risk to keep an eye on but not a guaranteed nightmare. The situation is very different in Brazil and India. That in itself is impacting younger groups. I’m not overly concerned but will remain optimistic but cautious.